When my daughter suggested I try padel at the Bay Padel Club near her home in San Francisco, my curiosity was piqued. Why not one more racquet sport? From table tennis and badminton in my younger days to pickleball more recently, I’ve always been a racquet sports enthusiast. Tennis and squash remain my favorites. After a few lessons with the club pro, and nearly a dozen open play sessions under my belt, here’s a tennis player’s perspective of padel.

For the uninitiated, padel (sometimes called padel tennis) is similar to tennis but played within an enclosed court — imagine tennis with walls, like squash. Originating in Mexico, it’s quite the rage in Europe and gaining popularity in North America and beyond. While singles padel exists, doubles is the dominant format at most clubs. Personally, I found padel to be more strategic and dynamic than I imagined, with a steeper learning curve than anticipated (I’m still working on it!).

Why Padel is NOT Just “Tennis with Walls”

At first glance, padel might seem like a mini version of tennis played in a cage. But trust me, it’s a whole different beast. The smaller court, the walls (glass and wire mesh), and the underhand serve make for a dynamic and fast-paced game that requires a different set of skills. Forget about blasting aces and hitting winners from the baseline – padel is all about strategy, reflexes, and patience.

Before getting into the tactics and strategies, here are a few key differences between tennis and padel.

Padel vs Tennis: Key Differences

Feature	Padel	Tennis
Court Size	Smaller (20m x 10m)	Larger (23.77m x 8.23m for singles)
Court Surface	Typically artificial turf or concrete	Grass, clay, or hard court
Walls/Cage	Cage with glass and wire mesh walls	No walls
Net Height	92 cm at the posts; 88 cm in the middle	106.5 cm at the posts; 91.5 cm in the middle
Ball	Similar to a tennis ball, but lower pressure	Felt-covered rubber ball, higher pressure
Paddle/Racquet	Solid racquet (no strings)	Strung racquet
Serving	Underarm serve	Overhead serve
Scoring	Similar to tennis	The first to four points with a 2-point difference
Gameplay	Faster-paced, strategic use of walls	Focus on power and precision
Popularity	Popular in Europe & Latin America	Globally established

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The Importance of a Padel Coach (Even for Experienced Tennis Players)

Padel is a fast-paced game that requires quick reflexes. The smaller court and walls mean the ball is constantly coming at you from different angles. Even if you’re a seasoned tennis player, I highly recommend getting a few lessons from a padel coach. They can help you learn the proper techniques, strategies, and etiquette of the game. As with every sport, learning the right technique helps you progress faster. You should expect a learning curve.

Early Impressions

The first thing that struck me as a tennis player was the difference in the feel when hitting the ball. While the low-pressure ball and stringless paddle gave me consistency, judging the flight and depth of my shots took a while. I noticed that beginners who transition from other racquet sports tend to over-hit or under-hit the ball before they get the hang of the game.

As a squash player, the glass walls didn’t faze me, but the mesh part of the wall and the bounce of the ball did. Compared to a squash ball, the padel ball is bouncier (more like a doubles squash ball). Two-wall shots (a shot that hits the turf, the sidewall, and back wall) can leave you in awkward positions, often too close or too far away from the ball for effective returns.

Serving in Padel: It’s Not About Aces

The underhand, drop-serve in padel is primarily about getting the point started than acing the opponent. The goal is to get to the net and control the point from there. Initially, I tried to hit my serves with a bit of pace and spin, but quickly realized that, at the intermediate level, consistency and placement trump pace. Advanced players do aim the ball at the forehand and backhand corners of the receiver’s service box to force weak returns. Unlike tennis, the padel serve is easy to master.

Players Slice More in Padel (Yes, Really!)

Topspin is not the norm for groundstrokes in padel. Slices and side spin shots keep the ball low and prevent the ball from bouncing back up for easy returns. If you can hit sliced shots (that hit the court and curve into the forehand or backhand corner), you are in business. Overhead shots are often executed with side spin just above shoulder height to prevent them from sitting up for attacking returns by your opponents.

Smashing in Padel: More Than Just Hitting Hard

As a tennis player, I thought the smash would be my bread and butter in padel. I was wrong! While you can sometimes hit outright winners, it’s often more effective to use the smash to keep pressure on your opponents or set up the next shot. Plus, with the shorter racket and the walls, it’s not as easy as it looks! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve lost points by smashing the ball directly onto the walls. Check out Padel School, a great site for padel learners.

Understanding the various smashes in padel

I quickly found out that flat smashes will only get you so far in padel. In padel, smashing is more nuanced. Power and timing are essential to get the low-pressure balls to bounce over the fence or back to your own court. Even at the professional level, softer smashes and setup shots are more prevalent than hard smashes. With its Mexican origins and growing popularity in Spain, it is not surprising that some padel smashes have taken Spanish names. Here is some padel lingo worth knowing:

• Bandeja (tray/plate): An overhand shot taken out of the air and hit with side spin, played mostly as a setup shot for a following put-away shot.
• Víbora (snake): A harder version of the bandeja (more power and spin) typically aimed at the corners of the court.
• Bajada (slope): A bandeja-like overhand shot played with a downward motion when the ball takes a high bounce off the back wall.
• Gancho (hook): A defensive soft overhead shot played when your opponent hits a lob that forces you back.
• Rulo (roller): A rulo is a soft overhead shot hit similar to a kick serve in tennis, targeting the side fence or the side glass.

Needless to say, learning the names of the shots is easier than learning to play the shots. The takeaway here is that you are better off playing one of the above shots than a (weak) flat smash that your opponents can counter-attack.

The Art of Letting the Ball Bounce

One of the hardest things for tennis players is to let the ball pass and wait for it to bounce off the back wall before playing it. In tennis, my instinct is to always volley shots to take time away from my opponents. I had to put my squash hat on to remind myself that the walls are your allies. Letting the ball bounce off the back wall can create unexpected angles and give you more time to set up your shot. It’s still a work in progress for me, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.

The Lob: Padel’s Secret Weapon

In tennis, the lob is often a defensive shot, a last resort when you’re out of position or under pressure. But in padel, it’s an offensive weapon. A well-placed lob can force your opponents back and allow you to take control of the net. I’ve learned to use the lob strategically, especially when my opponents are camped out at the net.

Don’t Try to Win Points Outright (At Least Not Yet!)

This was a hard lesson for me. As a tennis player, I’m used to going for winners. But in padel, patience is key. Instead of trying to blast every shot, I had to focus on playing safe and smart. Points are often constructed through strategy and positioning, hitting deep lobs, and using the walls to your advantage.

The Importance of Positioning in Padel

In padel, taking the net is key. By coming in behind your serve, you can control the net and volley away your opponents’ shots or force them to make errors. Moving forward and backward in tandem with your partner is critical to avoid gaps on the court that may be exploited by your opponents. Keep it simple: If you get lobbed, move back; if you lob, move up. Getting stranded in no man’s land can hurt you.

There you have it, a tennis player’s perspective of padel. So, grab a padel racquet, find a court, and give it a try! You might just get hooked like I did.